RoleofpilA, an Essential Regulatory Geneof Neisseria gonorrhoeae, intheStress Response

摘要: Sequence analysis hasshownthatPilA, a transcriptional regulator ofpilin geneexpression inNeisseria gonorrhoeae, hasextensive homology withthe54-kDa protein ofthesignal recognition particle ofeukaryotes andits receptor, aswell aswithtwoproteins ofEscherichia coli,FtsYandFfh, whichhavebeenproposed to bea partofa signal particle-like apparatus. We tested theputative role ofPilAinprotein export inN.gonorrhoeae anddidnotfind anyeffect. However, we didobserve induction ofaheatshock responseand previously described slow-growth phenotype whenPilAfunction was impaired. alsoexamined the interference ofpilAexpression inE.coli withthefunction oftheproducts offtsY andil andobserved an accumulation ofpre-13-lactamase. argueagainst direct forPiIAinprotein ingonococci and proposeinstead thatPiLAisinvolved inthemodulation ofcellgrowth rateinresponsetodifferent environmental conditions. Pili areamajor virulence factor ofNeisseria anexclusively humanpathogen. arecomposed primarily ofthesubunit, pilin, whichisencoded bythechromosomal genepilE. Expression ofpilEiscontrolled transcriptionally bytheproducts oftwolinked chromosomal genes, pilAand pilB, thatactasatwo-component regulatory system (21).